


His Bounce

by greenbloodedcomputer



Series: His Being [4]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: M/M, bounce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 06:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6599836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenbloodedcomputer/pseuds/greenbloodedcomputer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock had never seen a human <i>bounce</i> before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Bounce

**Author's Note:**

> If you are unfamiliar with the 'bouncing' that this fic is referring to, here is a [wonderful reference post](http://green-blooded-computer.tumblr.com/post/138146519450/can-you-if-at-all-possible-give-me-an-example-of) showing many examples. 
> 
> This is part of my series from Spock's perspective. I have another series of similar stories [from Leonard's perspective](http://archiveofourown.org/series/410053). Comments, questions, and requests are always loved!

Vulcans did not possess overtly outgoing body movements. In any social context, the Vulcan race seemed content to simply stand, usually with hands folded, surveying the area around them in a private and dignified manner. Spock had observed from a young age that, as a general rule, Vulcans did not run, dance, play, wave their arms, or communicate in any physical way other than through words. Once while visiting Vulcana Regar, Spock viewed a statue of Surak. He asked his mother who it was and Amanda explained that he was the father of modern Vulcan philosophy and that all good Vulcans try to emulate him. Little Spock took this to heart and for weeks attempted to stand just as the statue had -- hands out before him, eyes mostly closed in meditation, and stiff as a board.

At the Academy it quickly became clear that humans (and many other lifeforms) used physical movement every day, all day long. Humans used their hands to express emotion while speaking, performed informal gestures instead of using words (such as pointed in one direction as an answer to a question), and waved and jumped when they became excited about things. It seemed almost vulgar at first, but Spock quickly came to realize the movements were instinctual reactions to emotional impulses and they were not being deliberately crass. 

Though this was one of the many quirks humans had that could be construed as ‘deliberately crass’. 

However, in all his time on Earth and aboard the Enterprise, Spock found once again that his first experience with a rather odd human custom was found only when he was exposed to Dr. McCoy. At first, the man seemed rather usual….physically. He was more subdued than other humans he’d met (as long as his temper was calm) and aside from some vague hand motions while deep in conversation he was wholly uninteresting. Until one day he wasn’t.

Spock had never seen a human _bounce_ before. Like some of the other mysterious things the vulcan had witnessed humans doing, bouncing was so perplexing that he decided to do some research. Nothing in the ship’s computer indicated that bouncing was a normal human function. Spock thought perhaps he was using the wrong term. He also searched under human behavior for similar terms such as ‘rocking’, ‘hopping’, and ‘bopping’, but each of these searches only resulted in colloquial terms for dance moves in the 1950’s and 60’s and Spock was fairly sure that Leonard was not doing old-fashioned dance moves aboard the Enterprise on a daily basis. 

The ‘bouncing’ only occurred when Leonard was in a particularly good mood. Spock didn’t notice this pattern until they became bond mates. Before he was able to feel Leonard’s emotions it was nearly impossible to correctly identify how a human was feeling due to their misleading representation of personal feelings (ie. Leonard would often say he was ‘fine’ when he was, in fact, not). However, it was entirely clear once they were bonded that bouncing was a way to release pent up positive energy. Leonard just seemed to be the only one to release energy in that way. 

“Leonard?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you bounce?”

The doctor’s eyes shot up from the PADD he had been half heartedly scanning and raised an eyebrow in question. Spock never failed to find a small bit of amusement when Leonard picked up the Vulcan’s habits.

“Occasionally, when possessing an effective amount of positive energy, you roll up onto the balls of your feet, bounce, and lower yourself again.” 

Leonard placed the PADD down on the desk and absently tapped on the blank screen. “I don’t do that,” he said shortly. 

“Yes,” Spock argued. “You do.”

Leonard straightened his back and glared at his husband as he thought of a rebuttal, but Spock continued. “I have noticed you do it five times this week already, three times last week, and three the week before. Seventy two percent of the time you have your hands folded behind your back while the ‘bouncing’ is occurring. Fifty two percent of the time you are smiling.” 

Leonard’s face was rather red now. Spock viewed him with wonder -- such a simple observation could make him so mad. Why was he angry? Did he believe that ‘bouncing’ was demasculating? Perhaps it was a long forgotten and shameful human custom that Spock had not come across in his research? 

After his husband continued to steam for a few seconds, Spock added one more comment to try and ease the situation. “I find it somewhat endearing.” 

Some more silence and then...laughter. Leonard’s face broke from its twisted rage and started to laugh. He laughed so hard his shoulders shook and he ended up leaning his face on the table’s surface. Spock was confused at the seemingly unsolicited response and gently prodded the doctor mentally for an answer. 

“Ahh...I’m sorry Spock. That’s really funny.” The human wiped a tiny tear from his eye and Spock silently questioned if this was an emotionally negative tear. A nudge back from McCoy answered _no_. “It’s just an old habit of mine...just...I used to do it because Joanna did it…” 

They had never spoken of Leonard’s daughter before. Spock had concluded that there was an emotional barrier around the subject and that Leonard was not keen on conversing on the topic. The Vulcan was unsure of how to respond, and in many cases he found it wise to open his ears and eyes and not his mouth. So he remained silent. 

“Joanna was always so full of energy. She always thought I was such an old man when I would...stand so stoically with my hands folded and all. So she’d stand like me, for as long as she could, then she’d bounce up on those little feet of hers and take off running.” He chuckled to himself as he spoke. 

Spock thoughts the term ‘old man’ was unwarranted. It could be assumed that Joanna was very young when this story was taking place and Leonard had become a father at age twenty which was far from being accurately described as ‘old’. He assumed it must have had something to do with the unique perspective of human children. 

The two men’s eyes met and the doctor smiled again as he reached out and placed a hand in the other’s. Spock squeezed slightly as a sign of goodwill. “I just didn’t know I did that.” 

It was clear he had evoked some emotional undercurrent in his husband’s mind. Without true knowledge of how to be supportive of an emotion that was not truly negative, Spock simply held his gaze and intertwined their fingers. After a few moments, Leonard sighed and sat back in his chair, placing a good bit of distance between them once again. 

“I haven’t thought about her in a while.” Spock was again at a loss for how to respond. “You don’t have to respond,” Leonard remarked. “You don’t have to do anything. You’re...fine. You’re perfect. Thank you.” 

Spock was going to open his mouth in order to argue the doctor’s opinion that he was ‘perfect’, but Leonard held a hand up. “You’re perfect for me.”


End file.
